This application claims the priority of German patent 197 45 760.6, filed Oct. 16, 1997, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a firewall assembly for a motor vehicle, especially for an automobile, with at least one module of electronic control devices and with at least one functional assembly that can be mounted on the middle of the firewall, as viewed in the lengthwise direction of the vehicle, in a left-hand-drive or right-hand-drive design.
A firewall of this kind is known from German patent document DE 195 24 165 A1. On either side of the middle of the firewall, the known firewall has a passage with the same shape, with corresponding functional assemblies being mountable in the passages optionally on the left or on the right. Provision can be made for a steering gearshaft to pass through in a functional assembly module. The passage can also be closed by a module containing electronic control devices. Depending on whether the vehicle is designed for right-hand or left-hand drive, therefore, the appropriate modules can be positioned in the symmetrically constructed firewall. However, electronic control devices in particular in the known firewall must be located accordingly on the left side or the right side depending on whether it is a left-hand or a right-hand drive vehicle.
A goal of the invention is to provide a firewall of the type described generally above that allows the electronic control devices to be mounted regardless of whether the firewall is designed for a right-hand or left-hand drive vehicle.
This and other goals have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a firewall assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: a firewall defining a plurality of mounting spaces; at least one module containing electronic control devices mounted to said firewall; and at least one functional assembly mounted in either of a first of said mounting spaces located on a left-hand drive side of a center plane of said firewall or a second of said mounting spaces located on a right-hand drive side of the center plane of said firewall, wherein the at least one module containing electronic control devices is mounted in said firewall such that an outside contour thereof is located laterally outside of said first and second mounting spaces.
This and other goals have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a firewall assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising: a firewall defining a plurality of mounting spaces including a first functional assembly mounting space located on a left-hand drive side of a center plane of the firewall, a second functional assembly mounting space located on a right-hand drive side of the center plane of the firewall, and an electronic control unit mounting space located laterally outside of said first and second mounting spaces; at least one module containing electronic control devices mountable in said electronic control unit mounting space; and at least one functional assembly mountable in either of said first or second functional assembly mounting spaces.
This and other goals have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a firewall for a motor vehicle, said firewall defining a plurality of mounting spaces including: a first functional assembly mounting space located on a left-hand drive side of a center plane of the firewall; a second functional assembly mounting space located on a right-hand drive side of the center plane of the firewall; and an electronic control unit mounting space located laterally outside of said first and second mounting spaces.
This and other goals have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a method of assembling a firewall for a motor vehicle, comprising: providing a firewall defining a plurality of mounting spaces including a first functional assembly mounting space located on a left-hand drive side of a center plane of the firewall, a second functional assembly mounting space located on a right-hand drive side of the center plane of the firewall, and an electronic control unit mounting space located laterally outside of said first and second mounting spaces; mounting at least one module containing electronic control devices in said electronic control unit mounting space; and mounting at least one functional assembly in either of said first or second functional assembly mounting spaces.
According to the invention, a mounting space is provided for the at least one functional assembly on the firewall, on both the right side and on the left side, defined in its firewall position in the transverse direction of the vehicle, and in that the at least one module containing electronic control devices is positioned at a distance from the respective mounting space with its outside contour, as viewed in the transverse direction of the vehicle. This ensures that the mounting of the electronic control devices, preferably in an appropriate modular box, does not interfere with the different positioning of the at least one functional assembly in a right-hand or left-hand drive vehicle, so that the module containing electronic control devices and defined by the control device box can be mounted on the firewall before the firewall has been specifically arranged for right-hand or left-hand drive. A preferred distance is 10 mm. Then only a single module or two modules, depending on the number of control devices to be installed, can be provided for the control devices, said modules then being preferably positioned on opposite sides of the firewall, likewise under the conditions described. In particular, air-conditioning systems and brake systems can be provided as functional assemblies that are differently positionable for left-hand or right-hand drive.
In designing the invention, the at least one module, as viewed from the middle of the firewall in the transverse direction of the vehicle, is positioned outside the at least one mounting space. There is then sufficient room available for mounting the control devices laterally on either side externally on the firewall.
According to certain preferred embodiment of the invention, the mounting space for the functional assembly has the same distance in the transverse direction of the vehicle from the middle of the firewall on both the right and left sides. This results in an especially good utilization of space.
According to certain preferred embodiments of the invention, with two modules containing electronic control devices mounted on opposite sides of the firewall, the modules are each located at the same distance from the respective right-hand or left-hand mounting spaces relative to the middle of the firewall. This design also results in an especially good utilization of space when there are two control unit boxes.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.